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2-Year-Old Boy Punched in the Face by Panhandler on Manhattan Subway

A 2-year-old boy was punched in the face by a panhandler on a Manhattan subway train, yet another violent incident plaguing the city transit system.

The toddler was sitting on his mother’s lap around 3:10 p.m. Saturday when a female beggar walked through the  train-cars, asking passengers for money, according to police.

“Can you please stay 6 feet away?” the boy’s mom asked the panhandler, sources told The Post.

After the suspect stepped on the mom’s left foot, the mother asked the suspect, “Why did you step on me?” In response, the suspect began throwing punches at the mother, but she missed and hit the 2-year-old.

A witness told police she had to pull the suspect off the mom and child — who suffered minor visible injuries to his face and ear, sources said.

The attacker, described as in her 40s, fled the train when it arrived at the station. The injured child was taken to a hospital by ambulance for treatment and has since been released.

The mother told The Post the child is so traumatized from the attack that “he won’t let me touch him by the face.”

The suspect was described as a heavy-set woman with a neck tattoo and buzzcutwearing and a white face mask.

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About Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith is a newcomer to Washington D.C. She met and married an American journalist and moved to D.C. from the U.K. She graduated with a B.A. in Graphics, Media, and Communications and worked in design and retail in the U.K.

Photo: Empty subway seats wait for the next riders on the New York City subway September 10, 2005.